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“Ria,” he whispered

“Don’t” She shook her head, her voice hoarse “I don’t screaed, angry “Leave me alone Please Let me control this I have to control this”

He stepped in behind her, enclosed them in the steaed, and he let her cry He bent his head over hers and closed his eyes, knowing how hard this was for her Feeling it Sensing it

“I love you, Ria,” he whispered against her hair “I can’t give you any ive theht now she wouldn’t hear them

She sobbed harshly, her ar on to him as her tears branded his chest

“I didn’t want to love you,” she cried brokenly “I didn’t want to hurt like this”

“I know, baby” He kissed her hair, stroked her back “I know”

He let the store inside her, and he stroked her as it eased When she stood silent against hied a washcloth and he washed her Gently He cleaned the tears fro back the need that thickened his tongue, that burned inside him For the comfort

He gave her the only coive her His love

Sanctuary’s heli-jet whisked the her over his shoulder and deposited her in the back area, beneath the pilot’s aaze

She was furious So mad she could barely breathe, and once they landed at the mall, she had no choice but to behave with decoru et hold of

And Mercury capitalized on it He even went so far as to allow her to choose an outfit and try it on She had no sooner undressed than he jerked open the door and stole the clothing she had worn into the store

And she heard hiet rid of her jeans and sweater He was dead She was killing him

She stepped out in the clothes she had chosen Black slacks and a gray sweater He took one look at therowled in disaproval as he asked her, very quietly, “Do you want to leave this store naked?”

She left the store dressed in butt-hugging, leg-caressing blue jeans that drew more male eyes than she had drawn in her life, and he dared to snarl at theher Paired with the jeans was a cri shirt that she hid beneath the leather coat he’d allowed her to keep for some reason